NECA 1/4 Scale 1990 TMNT Donatello Review

The Review

Originally published April 4, 2017. This article preserves One Sixth Society’s original reporting and images; product availability, pricing, and opinions reflect the original publication period.

NECA’s quarter-scale range already included Predator figures when the company turned to the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. Donatello starts the movie-Turtle lineup, and his sculpt and weathering give us plenty to enjoy.

NECA Donatello holding his long bo staff above his head with both arms raised, wearing a purple mask and brown harness.

What’s In the Brown Shipper?

When ordering online from NECA, their figures arrive in a relatively generic brown shipper box. Inside is the retail art box. The large rectangular box uses NECA’s familiar quarter-scale format, with a window showing the figure. Photos of the figure and the movie Turtles appear around the window, along the sides and on the back. As nice as the box is, the real treat is inside.

Front view of NECA Donatello with both hands lowered at his waist, showing the chest shell, brown harness and purple mask.

Donny is huge beside a typical sixth-scale figure. NECA lists him at 16.5 inches tall with 30 points of articulation. The joints on our sample were tight, but once positioned he had an impressive range of movement for his size. Stop if a joint resists instead of forcing it.

NECA Donatello extending a thumbs-up toward the camera, with his head turned slightly and the edge of his back shell visible.

Donatello’s Head Sculpt is Beautiful!

The sculpt on the figure itself is absolutely lovely. It seems like they took the suits from the film and just shrunk them down. Donatello’s serious expression and focused gaze suit the character. It should also be noted that the figure is beautifully weathered. NECA did a fantastic job of highlighting the sculpt work. The nails on the several hands included show dirt, and the turtle skin shows the spots and blemishes that the suit in the film did. The fabric bandana tails and stitched, weathered staff harness add variety to the materials.

Close-up of NECA Donatello's face showing the purple mask, painted brown eye, green skin texture and closed mouth.

Hungry for Some Pizza?

Speaking of his staff, Donatello does come with some accessories! He comes with his ninja staff, which comes in at almost a foot. Much like the figure, the sculpt and paint are very successful here, displaying like a real wooden stick. He also comes with a slice of New York’s finest pizza which also is beautifully sculpted and painted. It really looks good enough to eat. That is a joke, please do not eat the plastic pizza!

Finally, he comes with a canister of ooze, which is adorned with clean text details and a realistically sculpted rip in the metal. He is rounded out by a set of hands in various poses.

NECA Donatello holding a miniature pizza slice near his face while wearing his purple mask and brown chest harness.

At its original $100 price, Donatello offered excellent value for TMNT fans. The sculpt, weathering and accessories made it an impressive start to the movie-Turtle lineup, leaving us eager to see NECA’s next release.

Watch the accompanying NECA Donatello Video Review: 1/4 Scale 1990 TMNT.

Making Room for Donatello’s Staff

Donatello’s nearly foot-long staff can take more sideways space than the figure’s shoulders suggest. A two-handed horizontal grip and a vertical resting position therefore need very different gaps between the Turtles. Set the staff angle before moving another figure into the same space, and leave the ends clear of a glass door.

The back is also worth considering. The stitched harness and shell finish are part of the figure’s detail, even when the usual front-facing arrangement hides them. A slight turn can show more of that work without requiring an extreme leg pose or placing extra strain on the tight joints noted in the original review.